A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology…

Google Product Listing Ads Officially Launch in Image Search (Search Engine Land)
Ads in Google Image search are launching, purchases on Google testing continues, Product Listing Ads are getting access to more inventory, and brick-and-mortar retailers running local inventory ads see some new features. These are among the announcements from Google at Shoptalk in Las Vegas on Monday.

Weighing the Local Promise of Bots and Conversational Commerce (Street Fight)
Damian Rollison: Are bots the future of the internet? Maybe, maybe not; like the buzz around Google Glass in 2013, we’re in the midst of a moment when it’s hard to tell the difference between hype and technological breakthrough.

MCX, the Big Retailer Answer to Apple Pay, Announces Layoffs and Another Product Delay (Recode)
MCX, a consortium formed by major retailers to make a mobile payments app that few have heard of and far fewer have ever used, announced today that it is laying off 30 people. The company is also delaying the national rollout of its CurrentC payments app for the second time in less than a year.

Sponsored: 5 Social Media Mistakes SMBs Make — and How to Fix Them (Street Fight)
Whether an SMB uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and/or Pinterest or other networks, they need to consider the following mistakes they can make and how to successfully navigate the sometimes-choppy waters as they grow their social media presence and customer engagement.

Amazon Launches Restaurant Delivery in Manhattan with More Than 350 Eateries (Recode)
Amazon announced today that it is partnering with more than 350 New York City eateries on meal delivery, in a move that will pit it against a host of incumbents and delivery startups, as well. The list of restaurants participating with Amazon at launch include well-known local names like Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, Le Pain Quotidien and Sarabeth’s Tribeca.

Google-Owned Waze is Testing its Own Uber-Like Carpool Feature (Business Insider)
Google-owned maps app Waze is testing a new carpooling service in California’s Bay Area that will let users from certain companies hitch rides to work together.

How Much More Can Ride-Sharing Services Grow in the US? (eMarketer)
This year, 15.0 million US adults will use a ride-sharing service or other sharing economy transportation service, a 20.5% increase over last year. While the segment will continue to grow through 2020, next year will be the last year of double-digit growth, as the segment matures.

Local SEO: Become the Voice Online for Your Market (Search Engine Land)
Corey Barnett: How can you improve online visibility for your local business? Produce content of interest to your community, even if it’s not directly related to your business.

NPR One Gets Serious About the Promise of New Digital Audiences for Local Journalism (Nieman Lab)
The NPR One app, which represents a way for public radio to reach listeners who might not be listening to terrestrial radio (at least not in any recognizable fashion), has been incorporating more and more local news into its stream.

Gannett Doubles Down on Bid to Buy Tribune Publishing (Poynter)
On Monday morning, Gannett upped its bid to purchase the publisher of the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune and nine other major dailies to $864 million, an increase of nearly $50 million from its previous offer of $815 million. The increased offer now values the acquisition at $15.00 per share, up from its April 22 offer of $12.25 per share.